DENVER, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Researchers at the U.S. National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver say they've demonstrated diluted bleach can neutralize mold allergens.
The study, published in the September issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, is the first to expose allergic individuals to mold spores treated with common household bleach.
"It has long been known that bleach can kill mold. However, dead mold may remain allergenic," said lead author John Martyny, associate professor of medicine at the center. "We found that, under laboratory conditions, treating mold with bleach lowered allergic reactions to the mold in allergic patients."
The need for denaturing or neutralizing mold allergens is a critical step in mold treatment that has not been fully understood. Martyny said most recommendations for mold remediation currently call for removal, since dead mold retains its ability to trigger allergic reactions.
"This study was conducted under controlled laboratory conditions," said Martyny. "In order to assure the bleach solutions will function similarly under actual field conditions, additional experiments will need to be conducted."
The study was partially funded by a grant from The Clorox Co.
